This article is written for entrepreneurs, adjusting to new norms of entrepreneurship. We will discuss navigating the entrepreneurship journey, all the pitfalls to avoid and what to expect.

Many entrepreneurs come from a corporate background. It is usually expected and we were certainly taught to go to school and land a high paying job, start making money as soon as possible. Michelle Obama in her book “becoming” talks about the “checklist” to success. Many of us have it: (1) get married at 25, (2) have 2.5 children, (3) climb the corporate ladder, (4) make partner, manager, CEO . . . or whatever the apex of your corporate journey is.

Sometimes somewhere in that ladder to the top, you start realising – your ladder is stacked up the wrong wall. You are climbing the wrong mountain, ticking items off the checklist does not fulfil like you thought it would.

And like Michelle Obama did, you decide to make that leap off the wrong wall and start a journey to search for real fulfilment. At this point, you might or might not know which wall you should be climbing as you start on a journey of self discovery. Sometimes that journey leads to entrepreneurship. Read – Taking the Leap in to Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship versus Full Time Employment

When you are ready to make that leap of faith, it is important to take in to consideration the differences between entrepreneurship and a full time job.

Working hours are out the window

In entrepreneurship, you are working for yourself. Say goodbye to 9-5, there are no more working hours. You can work anytime you want, from 20hour days to 3hour days, it really all depends on you.

This sudden flexibility and freedom comes at a cost, you get out what you put in. There is no boss to count your hours, but if you don’t work, you don’t eat.

The quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow comes to mind

The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.

This quote represents in great summary navigating the entrepreneurship journey. It is going to take a lot of effort, usually while others are sleeping. There are only 24hours in a day and as an entrepreneur, you need to put all those hours to work.

It is going to take longer than you think

The entrepreneurship journey is not a straight line to success. You probably hear this a lot, but you hear it a lot for a reason – it is true. The journey is hard, like climbing a mountain, you have to zig-zag to the top.

Entrepreneurship is like starting a project, every experienced project manager will tell you. The final project always cost more and takes longer that your most pessimistic estimates.

Get ready to pivot

Your initial idea, is not always going to be the idea that leads you to success. Entrepreneurship is a learning journey, as you try our ideas and concepts – you learn. Some ideas do not work out, but some just get improved on. You just find a better way to do things and refine your concepts.

Therefore pivoting is a crucial part of the journey, when you hit a wall – zig and zag in the other direction. Jus keep moving up, eventually you will reach the top.

Navigating the Entrepreneurship Journey – the black hole

The black hole of entrepreneurship is a topic that is hardly ever discussed. You wont read about it in top publications, even successful entrepreneurs barely discuss it.

The black hole is like pain of childbirth for women, after the baby is born, no one even remembers it, however it has lead to the demise of many entrepreneurs. The black hole is the impostor syndrome, hopelessness, failure and lack of motivation all rolled up in to one ugly package. It is that feeling when the sun comes up in the morning, and there is no motivation to get out of bed.

As we discussed earlier – no one is going to wake you up, give you a deadline or hand over KPIs. There is no one to motivate you, no systems in place to guide you or even a clear direction on where you must go.

In addition – you are going to be met with failure and disappointment everywhere you go. That financing you thought you could get from the bank or some government institution, is not coming. That proposal you sent out to potential clients is sitting in the dustbin. Despite your resolution to succeed, the constant disappointment pushes you closer and closer to the black hole.

In some cases, finances start to play a part. If you had not adequately planned for your financial support in this time, this is just going to be an extra burden to shoulder.

Black Hole Remedy

The cure for the black hole is self motivation, and picking yourself up by the bootsraps literally. The good news is that, it does get better with time. If you had planned well financially, you will be able to weather the storm.

Over time, like a tree that you plant in the garden – you don’t see it grow, but every time you look at it, it is bigger than the last time. All you need to do is water it and take care of it. The entrepreneurship journey is the same. You will not see the growth as it happens, but you have to keep watering your dream. In time, it will grow. And every time you look at it, it will be bigger than the last time.

Those proposals will start getting responses, as you develop a reputation, finances will also follow. You will realise, banks just want to fund a bankable business – you need to show yourself to be bankable, and that takes time.

Reaching the top

If you stick around long enough, eventually you will reach the top. The key to success is – persistence. In entrepreneurship it is not the most intelligent, hardworking or even well organised that make it. It is not even the most connected. It is the most perssistent that makes it, the ones who do not stay down, but keep rising after every knock, keep pushing.

If you stay the path long enough, it only leads to the top.

More reading – 7 Life lessons of Entrepreneurship